Cinema Cinema brings intensity to Kung Fu Necktie stage

In the world of rock music lately, there has been a glut of ‘cookie cutter” acts -- bands and singers who are content to hop on the bandwagon and imitate whatever is the musical “flavor of the month.”

Cinema Cinema, which is headlining a show at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia on March 1, is band from Brooklyn whose only “cookie cutter” experience would come about if either of its members figured out how to make interesting sounds from aluminum shapes normally used to slice through batter.

The duo, which celebrated its fifth anniversary as a band in January, was formed by cousins Ev Gold (vocals & guitars) and Paul Claro (drums) in 2008. The musical cousins have released several albums and EPs -- the most recent of which is the “Manic Children & the Slow Aggression” LP.

This is a band which, whether in the studio or on stage, has just one level of intensity -- full throttle. It is also a band with a wide range of influences -- a trait evidenced on the new disc. One track might be an experimental guitar-driven instrumental while another might remind listeners of Pere Ubu or Husker Du.

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“We approach every song as if there were a full band,” said Gold, during a phone interview from Brooklyn. “And, we don’t stick to one genre. We go where the muse takes us.

“I had been in regular bands before -- sang in some and played guitar in others -- but they weren’t like Cinema Cinema. It takes some planets to align for guys who can get together and make a band work.

“I got divorced when I was 29 and found myself bandless at the same time. The month I left my marriage, I started playing music with my cousin Paul. I knew before then that he was a good drummer but I never realized how great he was -- what a manic drummer he could be.

“Our first gig was in February 2008 and we’ve played over 300 shows since them. We did over 100 shows in our second year of existence. It’s been a high-wire tightrope act and we’ve grown up in the public eye.”

Cinema Cinema has toured extensively with acts such as Greg Ginn and recorded with highly-respected producer Don Zientara at his Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia.

“We went down to Virginia and spent eight days recording the new album with Don,” said Gold. “A CD can hold 80 minutes and our CD runs 79 minutes and 45 seconds. The whole album was made by just Paul and me.

“I knew that if he did what he can do on drums and I did what I could do on guitar, we could do things that other two-piece bands aren’t doing. A lot of two-pieces limit the colors on their palette but not us.

“When we play live, we don’t stop. We start our set and do one long journey until the end with segues between the songs. It’s kind of like a cinematic experience. The songs are living and breathing.”